Yes! There are just so many ways to go at this. The task of trying to select best books of the year or anything of that sort just totally paralyzes me. Looking over my reading and identifying which books have really stayed with me or were particularly enjoyable and/or memorable experiences is way more approachable for me and those are the ones I'm always recommending or most excited to praise anyway.
It was such a stellar reading experience for me! I mean, I read it in a single day on a beach vacation, which I feel is the absolute optimal setting (always, but especially for this particular book.)
I'm hoping to read Slow Dance, Mercury and The Safekeep soon - waiting on library holds. The fact that my library has long holds gives me a bit of hope - people are reading (even in a hellscape)!. Thanks for the Stacey Abrams rec - I will check that out. There are 2 of us currently watching Season 1 of Only Murders...😁
Yes, yes, long library wait times are always a little bittersweet. Like, I'm glad we're all enjoying books generally, but also specifically these ones I'm interested in, but also... maybe people could enjoy them at a time after I've already had my chance? 😁
I love how your have this broken down. I also enjoyed Slow Dance, Margo & Hot Springs Drive (more need to pick that one up for sure) I really want to pick up…The Postcard, In Memoriam, The Bog Wife and Summer Fridays always catches my attention. I’m really looking forward to The Lady’s Handbook (at this time I think it will resonate with it)
These are all great plans! Summer Fridays is a good one for peak/late summer, I think. The Bog Wife is SO good, I have no idea why I haven't seen it around more. That's a fall read, for sure. The Postcard is so moving, so is In Memoriam, which just totally gutted me. I can't believe more people haven't read Hot Springs Drive! I think it's one many would enjoy.
Some of my most favorite books are in your standouts: Great Believers, In Memoriam, Overstory. I should get to others on there I havent read.
Thank you for the podcast recs too! I started that Ezra Klein one but my mind wandered. I will go back to it. Definitely want to check out Stacy Abrams.
I cannot believe I waited so long to read Great Believers and Overstory. I knew I'd enjoy them before reading (somehow the ones I know I'll love are the very books I'll endlessly put off) and they still blew me away.
I am adopting the classifications of Standouts and Shoutouts. It doesn't look like we are attracted to the same books, but two I did read and agree are Standouts are: THE POSTCARD and MARGO'S GOT MONEY PROBLEMS. I'm following you on Storygraph now.
The Standouts and Shoutouts structure really helps me more than just looking for favorites somehow. Would love to hear about your own stands and shouts! I'm often surprised by which books I've read are the ones I look back on as my Standouts but I undoubtedly knew when I was reading The Postcard that it was special. So moving! And have you seen Margo is getting a TV adaptation? I'm so looking forward to seeing it come to life! The casting looks amazing and I think the story lends itself well to a series adaptation.
I felt the same way when I started THE POSTCARD. Other STANDOUTS that affected me the same way were ORBITAL (which for the longest time I didn't plan on reading as I thought it was dystopian) by Samantha Harvey. THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD (Nora Zeale Hurston) was like a gut punch. THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES (Hiro Arikawa) and MINA's MATCHBOX (Yoko Ogawa). For SHOUTOUTS, A WALK IN THE PARK (Kevin Fedarko), THE PARIS NOVEL (Ruth Reichl) and HOLLY (Stephen King).
I listened to a recent podcast with the author of MARGO's ... and she mentioned the adaptation (which she still can't believe).
I use the standout approach as well. I think that allows us to frame it around our personal taste and experiences with a book.
Yes! There are just so many ways to go at this. The task of trying to select best books of the year or anything of that sort just totally paralyzes me. Looking over my reading and identifying which books have really stayed with me or were particularly enjoyable and/or memorable experiences is way more approachable for me and those are the ones I'm always recommending or most excited to praise anyway.
I love the Standout and Shoutout approach! Sandwich was absolutely a standout for me.
It was such a stellar reading experience for me! I mean, I read it in a single day on a beach vacation, which I feel is the absolute optimal setting (always, but especially for this particular book.)
I loved these as well:
Sandwich
Same As It Ever Was
The Unseen World
I'm hoping to read Slow Dance, Mercury and The Safekeep soon - waiting on library holds. The fact that my library has long holds gives me a bit of hope - people are reading (even in a hellscape)!. Thanks for the Stacey Abrams rec - I will check that out. There are 2 of us currently watching Season 1 of Only Murders...😁
Yes, yes, long library wait times are always a little bittersweet. Like, I'm glad we're all enjoying books generally, but also specifically these ones I'm interested in, but also... maybe people could enjoy them at a time after I've already had my chance? 😁
Hope you're enjoying Only Murders!
I love how your have this broken down. I also enjoyed Slow Dance, Margo & Hot Springs Drive (more need to pick that one up for sure) I really want to pick up…The Postcard, In Memoriam, The Bog Wife and Summer Fridays always catches my attention. I’m really looking forward to The Lady’s Handbook (at this time I think it will resonate with it)
These are all great plans! Summer Fridays is a good one for peak/late summer, I think. The Bog Wife is SO good, I have no idea why I haven't seen it around more. That's a fall read, for sure. The Postcard is so moving, so is In Memoriam, which just totally gutted me. I can't believe more people haven't read Hot Springs Drive! I think it's one many would enjoy.
The ones that I've read, I loved! Really liked the Standouts and Shoutouts format ^^
Thanks! The structure helps me categorize for sure.
Some of my most favorite books are in your standouts: Great Believers, In Memoriam, Overstory. I should get to others on there I havent read.
Thank you for the podcast recs too! I started that Ezra Klein one but my mind wandered. I will go back to it. Definitely want to check out Stacy Abrams.
I cannot believe I waited so long to read Great Believers and Overstory. I knew I'd enjoy them before reading (somehow the ones I know I'll love are the very books I'll endlessly put off) and they still blew me away.
I am adopting the classifications of Standouts and Shoutouts. It doesn't look like we are attracted to the same books, but two I did read and agree are Standouts are: THE POSTCARD and MARGO'S GOT MONEY PROBLEMS. I'm following you on Storygraph now.
The Standouts and Shoutouts structure really helps me more than just looking for favorites somehow. Would love to hear about your own stands and shouts! I'm often surprised by which books I've read are the ones I look back on as my Standouts but I undoubtedly knew when I was reading The Postcard that it was special. So moving! And have you seen Margo is getting a TV adaptation? I'm so looking forward to seeing it come to life! The casting looks amazing and I think the story lends itself well to a series adaptation.
I felt the same way when I started THE POSTCARD. Other STANDOUTS that affected me the same way were ORBITAL (which for the longest time I didn't plan on reading as I thought it was dystopian) by Samantha Harvey. THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD (Nora Zeale Hurston) was like a gut punch. THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES (Hiro Arikawa) and MINA's MATCHBOX (Yoko Ogawa). For SHOUTOUTS, A WALK IN THE PARK (Kevin Fedarko), THE PARIS NOVEL (Ruth Reichl) and HOLLY (Stephen King).
I listened to a recent podcast with the author of MARGO's ... and she mentioned the adaptation (which she still can't believe).
Oooh, I'm looking forward to Orbital, hopefully soon! The waitlist was a mile long at my library, but I am patient :D
Love how you organized it with standouts, shoutouts, etc. I hope you enjoy The Safekeep- it was one of my 2024 standouts ☺️
I did enjoy The Safekeep! Very layered, and that gothic-y vibe really drew me in too!